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Weld
Weld is a Case 53 and member of the Boston Wards. He was brought in to lead the Brockton Bay Wards after Leviathan's attack and later moved on to lead the Irregulars after the Echidna Incident. Personality Possibly influenced by his own experiences Weld is an accepting and trusting individual, Comment by Wildbow in Missing Interlude generally being respectful, honest, and kind to just about everyone barring Cauldron, the Slaughterhouse Nine, and the rest on the far end of villainous spectrum. Weld speaks with a noticeable Boston accent.Extinction 27.3Parasite 10.2 While his size and strength lend many to view him as a simple front line combatant. Weld has a keen intelligence with analytical and tactical insight. However he struggles with the changes his body has gone through having lost much of his ability to taste, feel pressure, and smell. It is unknown to the full extent that his sensorium has been affected.What constitutes a "Sense" He is highly reliant on music as a coping mechanism as a result, with his quarters among the wards having wall to wall stacks of CDs. He does not strictly need to eat and functions on less sleep then normal for humans. In fact he used some of his wards food stipend to buy music.Ah, but you have to weigh it. How self-serving is it, really? I mean, he’s not really cheating the system or stealing money. He’s thinking, “Others get $400 a month to spend on food and other essentials, but I don’t sweat and my clothes last a long while if I get durable ones, and I don’t eat, so why shouldn’t I spend money on something more ‘quality of life’?” Sure, he’s bending the rules a smidge, but he’s a teenage boy, not a saint, and he puts up with a hell of a lot with his condition. It’s really pretty tame as sins go. -Comment by Wildbow on Sentinel 9.1 His emotional range is also affected. He states that he does not have adrenaline or really feel fear because his body does not produce the chemicals for it.“Sveta idolizes me. She sees me as a hero, a spokesperson for our kind. Her therapist asked me to come visit, because she heard about what happened in the Echidna attack, what Cauldron was doing. All of her progress, gone. So her therapist wanted her hero to show up. Give her guidance, support. It worked.”'' “That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” I asked. ... Weld was shaking his head. “She thinks I’m fearless, but I’m not. I don’t have any hormones, any real heart that can pound, adrenaline to flow through my veins. But I still feel fear, still feel despair. I can’t jump into the water and sink to some point lower than mount Everest is tall, spending months or years without any goddamn music. So I stay here and… I try to convince them to leave. I’m a coward in the end, putting them at risk because I’m scared I’ll sink.” - Excerpt from Extinction 27.5 Relationships Director Armstrong The two are never seen interacting together in story. However Weld explicitly references Armstrong as a father figure when defending him to Director Piggot, who was saying that Armstrong prioritized research over trying to integrate capes and deviants into society. Weld elaborates he will be visiting Armstrong over the summer. Armstrong is also one of the only PRT Directors who was not hostile to Weaver after the Battle of New Delhi.Scarab 25.1 It is possible the Director survived Gold Morning and now works as in The City under the title of Chief Armstrong. Taylor Hebert Weld was genial to Skitter at their first meeting though neither of them had been introduced at the time and were about to face an Endbringer under the Truce. While professional in his obligation to place her in custody as a PRT sponsored hero, Weld was willing to listen to Taylor when the situation called for it. Weld is described by Taylor as being "one of the only decent ones out there..."Venom 29.3 Weld admitted to her that he did not see himself as a hero and was worried about being isolated without any music. She did save him when he came closest to death. PRT Weld was promoted to head of the Brockton Bay to be the ‘face’ for the more "deviant" members of the Protectorate. Hopefully with his success leading the Brockton Bay Wards team he will eventually go on to lead a city’s Protectorate team. He was able to secure funding from the PRT when he started his own team of 'ethical mercenaries'.'The Irregulars''' Formed of a splinter group of ex-hero Case 53s and others, following the revelations of the Triumvirate’s involvement with Cauldron. The group does mercenary work, with a focus on doing good deeds more than on making money, and retains loose ties to the Protectorate and Wards. - Cast (In Depth) Wards Despite initial difficulties Weld was able to become a competent leader of the wards and successfully lead them in many perilous confrontations. Irregulars Appearance Weld's body is "from skin to hair to bone, was all metal and alloys of varying types".Sentinel 9.1 He is described as being mostly a textured dusky dark grey though whether this is his natural or "default" coloring or because he absorbed a large amount of such metal is unknown.Extermination 8.1 Of note is the silver tracery, this defines his vary prominent musculature and seems to indicate where his 'veins' are. His eyes are also silver, two lines come from the outer corners of his eyes down his cheekbones and to the sides of his jaw. He is still recognizably a teenager.Weld – A member of the Boston Wards, Weld is a metal-skinned boy, one of the case 53s (People who tend to have amnesia, a specific mark and monstrous features). - Worm Cast Page It is not unknown for him to have a random collection of metal objects fused to his skin, at various stages of absorption. After creating the Irregulars he is described as having reformatted his overall appearance, forming scales and small horns throughout his body.That same mark, in different sizes and at different angles, marked the various members of the new arrivals. Weld’s Irregulars. Weld had altered his look, a little more edgy, a little less human. Segments of his metallic flesh stood out like horns or scales, and the veins and crevices were deeper. Strangest of all was that he was wearing another of the case fifty-threes, in addition to his thick canvas pants. Tendrils encircled his arms and legs, wound around his fingers. Loops of metal, in turn, bound the tendrils, locking them into place, or helped direct them into and through his limbs. All of the tendrils led to the same point, to a pale girl’s face, with Cauldron’s mark on her cheekbone. She had no body I could make out, no hair, only the tendrils. - Excerpt from Extinction 27.2It’s telling, too, that Weld’s appearance changed. He decorated himself with horns and scales. - Glow-worm P.8 He also took to wearing a compatriot. Unlike other Case 53s Weld's mark is branded into his heel rather then tattooed.“He’s a good kid with a good record,” Dragon chimed in from the computer, “Ferrous biology, absorbs metals through his skin. Strong, tough, good grades across the board, high marks in the tactics simulations. Likable, and a scan of the web shows feedback for him is higher than average, which is impressive, considering he’s one of the Case 53s.” “He’s got the tattoo?” Hannah asked. “The mark is branded into his heel, not tattooed, but yes.” - Excerpt from Interlude 7 Abilities and Powers Weld, as a Case 53, possesses a completely metallic physiology. This bears repetition, his entire body is metallic down to his inner organs. In addition to having silver eyes his equivalent of inner organs are made of copper and gold.Crawler came tearing through the blazing parking booth and blindsided Weld. In terms of raw power, the junior hero might as well have been a powerless human for all the defense he could muster. Crawler’s claws tore into him, revealing bones in silver, organs in copper and gold. Two grenades left. I threw one down at them. Mannequin backed away, and Crawler, though his head was directed at Weld, rose up onto his two hind legs and batted at the grenade with Weld’s body. The explosive went off a second after the impact, and Weld was thrown free of Crawler’s grip. I saw him stagger to his feet, his wounds closing as he shapeshifted them. He couldn’t do much about the material that had been raked off of him. ... This time, at least, Weld took on the heavy hitter. He leaped at Crawler from the side, his hand becoming needle-fine as he plunged it into one of Crawler’s largest eye sockets. I knew that Crawler could dodge Ballistic’s hits. He must have seen Weld coming and simply not cared. The needle barely penetrated Crawler’s eye, but Weld used the leverage to wrap himself around Crawler’s face. - Excerpt form Prey 14.5 Due to his unique physiology, he is stronger and more durable than others - in his words, 'practically untouchable in a fight'. It also gives him another advantage as it falls into a middle ground between organic and inorganic which renders him immune to select powers. His malleable physiology allows him to survive what would be grievous if not fatal injuries to a baseline Human being. He states he does not really have a heart.The Director took the hand of a uniform inside the helicopter, stepping inside, and Weld followed her up, refusing a helping hand. The helicopter shifted slightly with the addition of his six hundred pounds of weight. ... Weld looked down at his hands. His body, from skin to hair to bone, was all metal and alloys of varying types. “I’ve dealt with it before, I’ll manage.” ... “It’s fine. I don’t have to sleep much, anyways, so it’s good to keep busy.” ... “Yes,” he answered her, bending the truth. While he did eat, it was a negligible amount. As he saw it, there was no real harm done if he pocketed some of that extra money and said he spent it on food. Given that his tongue was made of an alloy and the pleasures of food were a shadow of what they should be, it was only fair that he enjoy himself in some other way. He knew that some staff back in Boston had caught on, but they hadn’t said anything. Director Piggot here gave him the vibe that maybe she wouldn’t be so cool with it. He’d be more careful until he knew for sure. ... “I appreciate the thought,” he told her. His physiology had the unfortunate drawback that he couldn’t help but attach to and absorb metal he touched. While it had been crippling when he’d first been found, dumped in a junkyard, he had learned ways around it. He could rearrange the metals that formed his body, separate them into their composite elements, and he extended this particular trick to push all the impurities in the metals out to his ‘skin’. The impurities, unlike the metal that composed the rest of him, didn’t bond, giving him the ability to handle things with his hands and teeth if he needed to. It didn’t always work – at least once a week there was one embarrassing moments where he bonded with someone’s wedding ring during a handshake or bumped into a shelf display – but it helped. Clothes helped as well. In a more serious situation, such as when he was out on patrol, he could force parts of himself to melt and drop off, leaving a piece of himself behind, but it made him distinctly uncomfortable – pain wasn’t the right word – until he replaced the tissue he’d lost. More often, he preferred to just tear the offending piece of metal from whatever surface it rested on, whether it was a segment of chain link fence or a hubcap. Whenever he did it, he’d have to spend as much as an hour dissolving the metal and absorbing it into his body. Either way, they were only emergency measures. Which wasn’t to say he was weak. Being made of materials and alloys as strong or stronger than steel from head to toe made him practically untouchable in a fight. In addition, his biology fell into some optimal middle ground between organic and inorganic. For those whose powers affected only living things, he counted as inorganic. The opposite was also true. - Excerpt from Sentinel 9.1 Weld can rearrange the metals that form his body, separate them into their composite elements, and push the impurities out of his skin - allowing him to handle metallic objects with his hands and teeth if he needs to. He can also force parts of himself to melt and drop off, leaving a part of himself behind which makes him distinctly uncomfortable until he replaces the tissue he's lost. This assimilation effect is largely how he repairs damage to his body.A further ability is his is to shift parts of his anatomy. He has been known the turn his arms into spears and hooks for fighting. He is also able to shape his body to repair any damage he suffers, and he can suffer a lot of damage. This shifting extends to his entire body, allowing him to tweak his appearance if he wants to look more demonic or wear a compatriot, at one point even changing his apparent gender. Most important however is his highly-favorable Manton Effect; powers that only affected organic beings tended to not affect him,Weld turned back to Noelle. His left hand changed to become a blade, and he used it to hack and slash his way through Noelle’s side. His other hand dug and scraped for purchase as he deliberately and intentionally submerged himself. ... Grace and Tecton fell, and Weld dropped after them. He turned the blade of one hand into a scythe, then chopped a segment of Echidna’s foot free. With one motion of the scythe, he sent Tecton, Regent and some of the dogs skidding our way, sliding them on the vomit-slick floor like a hockey player might with a puck on ice. Echidna deliberately dropped, belly-flopping onto Weld, Grace and the dismembered foot that had stepped on the sixth dog. Miss Militia was already drawing together a rocket launcher. She fired a shot at the general location where Weld was. He forced his way free of the resulting wound a moment later, the dog tucked under one arm, Grace under the other. Echidna swiped at him, but he hurled the others forward to safety a second before it connected. He was slammed into the wall, but he didn’t even reel from the blow. He made a dash for us. - Excerpt from Scourge 19.1 and powers that only affected inorganic material also tended to not affect him. He occupied a sweet spot in the Manton Effect. History Background Weld was what Cauldron called a deviation scenario.5) Did Noelle experience what was called a “Deviation scenario” as was mentioned in 11:7? ... Yes and no. Deviation scenarios include Weld and Gully. - Comment by Wildbow on Imago 21.1 After he was ejected from their custody he woke up amnesic in a scrapyard where he spent an inordinate amount of time separating himself from the metal that had been fused to his body.He states in one paragraph, as he contemplates his power, that he was found in dumped in a junkyard, presumably with metal bits stuck to him. Miss Militia notes in her interlude that he’s a ‘Case 53’, or one of the ones with the tattoos. - Comment by Wildbow on Sentinel 9.1“I appreciate the thought,” he told her. His physiology had the unfortunate drawback that he couldn’t help but attach to and absorb metal he touched. While it had been crippling when he’d first been found, dumped in a junkyard, he had learned ways around it. He could rearrange the metals that formed his body, separate them into their composite elements, and he extended this particular trick to push all the impurities in the metals out to his ‘skin’. The impurities, unlike the metal that composed the rest of him, didn’t bond, giving him the ability to handle things with his hands and teeth if he needed to. It didn’t always work – at least once a week there was one embarrassing moments where he bonded with someone’s wedding ring during a handshake or bumped into a shelf display – but it helped. Clothes helped as well. - Excerpt from Sentinel 9.1 It is unknown if this was in Boston, but he would eventually be recruited to the Boston Wards team by Director Armstrong, who became something of a father figure to Weld. Weld was a Boston Ward for two years.A two year tenure as a member of the Boston Wards with no offenses or misconduct reported to the media. He was the third monstrous cape to feature as an actor on a television show, the first to make a second appearance on TV, and the first mutant with an onscreen kiss. He was the subject of a viral online image, released with various humorous captions, and it was a combination of this and arguably his small-network television appearances that gave him his popularity. He rode this success to a position as the first monstrous cape to be the team leader of the Wards. - Glow-worm P.8 At some point, Weld was the subject of an internet meme featuring an image of him with various captions. Because of his work he was on track to be part of the PRT's push to incorporate more Case 53's into the Protectorate.Weld – Once the forerunner of a new phase in the Protectorate’s plan to acclimatize the public to capes, Weld was to be the ‘face’ of the more monstrous or unusual capes, taking over the Wards, with plans to eventually have him lead a city’s Protectorate team. Left the Wards following the revelations about Eidolon and Alexandria’s involvement with Cauldron. Now leads the Irregulars. Weld has metal flesh, a consequence of his ability to absorb metal and incorporate it into his biology. This renders him nigh-indestructible and gives him basic shapeshifting ability. - Cast (in depth)Weld was, in his introductory chapter and interlude, mentioned as being the forerunner and point man for the next phase of the PRT’s overarching plan to blend parahumans into society. The test case, if you will. - Comment by Wildbow on Scourge 19.4 He was the third monstrous cape to feature as an actor on a television show, the first to make a second appearance on TV, and the first with an onscreen kiss. Coming to Brockton Bay Weld was deployed to Brockton Bay as part of the response to the Endbringer incursion. Here he met Skitter in passing and their lives would continue to intersect well into the future. He teamed up with Browbeat as part of the plan B response to stall Leviathan. The aftermath of the attack on Brockton Bay he would see him transferred to the city as the new leader of the local Wards. He would arrive three weeks after the attack having to wrap up personal affairs in Boston.greatwyrmgold: Why did Weld not stay in Brockton Bay after the Leviathan attack? Was there some ceremonial thing in Boston that needed to be done, or was there a larger skip between arcs than I realized, or what? wildbow: ~Three weeks, IIRC. He needed to wrap things up back home, and he had people (like teammates, Director Armstrong) that he wanted to say goodbye to. - Comment by Wildbow on Sentinel 9.1 Though he did not make the best first impression on his new team, Weld rapidly proved to be a capable leader,Sentinel 9.3 even pushing for therapy for his teammates given what they had gone through.Sentinel 9.5 Was instrumental in the Protectorates strategy against the Slaughterhouse Nine, defending his fellow heroes against Crawler and Mannequin after a bombing run ordered by Director Piggot. Post-Slaughterhouse Nine Weld did not intervene when dragon suits were deployed against the Undersiders. He was instrumental in repeatedly recovering captured capes out of the new S-Class threat that was released into Brockton Bay. When the extent of Skitter's activities were revealed by Chitter Weld did not let this dissuade him from his mission. He reported it to his boss however. When Ignis Fatuus revealed dread secrets at the heart of the Protectorate Weld still kept fighting the aberrations created by the S-Class threat. Post-Echidna Weld would form The Irregulars following the revelations of Ignis Fatuus. Further he would enter into an alliance with Faultline's crew. After hearing that an occupant of the Parahuman Asylum had heard and reacted badly to those same revelations Weld visited and recruited her to his fledgling team. Post-Timeskip His team was invited to Cauldron meetings where he castigated his former capters . Gold Morning Orchestrated one of the only successful invasions of Cauldron's Base, with the aid of some new recruits. Unlike many of his compatriots he had not fallen to despair enough to think all that he had time to do was take revenge on his tormentors before everyone died at the hands of Zion. With a handful of others Weld fought against former friends in defense of both his principals and the time for needed answers to come to light.Cockroaches 28.x (Interlude) Weld was torn apart more fiercely then ever before yet still survived, unable to stand or move due to the horrific damage inflicted on him.Weld, mangled to the point that he looked more like scrap metal than a person, was heaved forward, thrown to the ground. A sphere rolled forward. Something coiled within, behind the colored transparent pane. Someone in the crowd grabbed it, then made their hands glow. Fire? Heating the material? I couldn’t tell from this distance, but I could see the movement within accelerate in fits and starts. Weld reached out for the sphere, but his arm was so badly damaged it couldn’t hold his weight. It bent the wrong way, breaking off. When he rolled over onto his back, the forearm was stuck to his upper arm, hand to his shoulder and neck. If he’d been a human, if half that much damage had been done, there would be no way he’d be alive. - Excerpt from Venom 29.4 He helped in the final push, showcasing the extent of his shifting abilities while under the influence of Khepri."One metal-skinned boy I’d salvaged from the ruins of a recent fight had been molded into a steel-skinned companion." - Speck 30.6 Post-Gold Morning Joined the Wardens and was given his own squad. Took a vacation with Garotte. Navigation Category:Brute Category:Case 53s Category:Characters Category:Changer Category:Heroes Category:The Irregulars Category:Males Category:Wards